https://issuu.com/fashion_ecomarket/docs/fashion_magazine_n_2_2025?fr=sZTk3ZDg2Mzc5OTU
FASHION MAGAZINE MILANO nr.2 June 2025 pag.78
INTERVIEWED by BIGOTTA.
1 – You founded VM Art in 2016: how did this idea come about? What
would you have done if not this?
VM Art was officially born in 2016, but its roots go much further back. Around
2002, I created M€URO (ME&EURO), an autobiographical character embodying
my reflections on contemporary society — cultural homogenization, media
power, and especially how our survival depends on money.
M€URO’s body reflects exactly that: a being that can only exist through
consumption — a tragicomic icon of our times.
At first, I drew scenes from my life as seen through M€URO on tiles I recovered
during my apartment renovation, or I used plastic supports and paints.
One of the first artworks was about a trip to Rome when my Nissan Micra broke
down on the highway. One of my friends pushed it for kilometers — a surreal
scene I turned into a mini graphic novel in M€URO style.
From there, many other stories were born — like the love affair between M€URO
and Miss Dollarina — and I even dreamed of an animated version, including 3D,
drawing storyboards and studying movement.
After years in architecture and design, with abstract art as a side practice, I
moved to the Caribbean, then in 2016 a dear friend, Edoardo Hidalgo (the same
one who pushed the Micra!), invited me to Shanghai to collaborate on a large
urban planning project. He was the one who encouraged me to take up my
drawings again — he’d seen them being born.
That’s when I decided to bring M€URO to the world, printing it on T-shirts. That
was the first step toward VM-SHIRT.
If I hadn’t done this? I’d probably still be seeking ways to blend art, activism,
and satire — tools that have always been inseparable from life for me.
Because being free… is an act of rebellion!
2 – Nowadays colorful T-shirts with graphics are everywhere. What makes
yours different? What inspires you?
My T-shirts are personal narratives. Each graphic is a message — often
provocative or surreal — born from my experiences, my most radical thoughts,
and a single desire: to transform the everyday into living art.
While many dream of changing the world, mine is to leave a mark through a
total work — a conceptual monument that is both a memento and a warning.
I imagine a performative installation: a suspended metal structure — a fragile
symbol of democracy — covered in burning banknotes, right in the heart of
Times Square. When the fire dies out, the bare structure remains in the air, a
silent witness of a necessary flame.
My graphics aren’t made “to please” but to communicate, provoke, stimulate
thought — sometimes with irony. “Misery loves company,” they say — but I want
that “company” to also be awareness.Then there’s M€URO, my artistic alter ego: a critical observer, victim, and
narrator of our times. Through him, I tell stories — it’s as if I write and Keith
Haring draws.
Haring is my visual shorthand: his direct, universal language perfectly
expresses my ideas.
Aesthetically, I use bold colors, sharp contrasts, and a mix of pop art, comics,
and underground graphics, with digital influences. But what truly sets my shirts
apart is the approach: they’re not fashion — they’re wearable messages.
3 – Next year your brand turns 10. What have been the major milestones
and what’s next? What’s your typical customer?
Yes! VM-SHIRT is still a 10-year-old child — but 2026 marks the birthday of an idea
that has kept evolving without ever losing its soul.
Milestones are all linked to human encounters, travel, and spontaneous
insights: from the first printed shirts in Shanghai to street art in Belgium, to
collaborations with artists and performers. Every phase has been a journey of
continuous experimentation and creative expansion.
One turning point? When I saw people wearing my shirts not for aesthetics but
for the message.
VM grew through genuine word of mouth, thanks to people who connected with
a broader narrative — rich in content and vision.
My typical customer? A curious, youthful mind with forward-thinking spirit. A
gentle rebel. Someone unafraid to be themselves. I don’t target the
mainstream, but those who seek an alternative language, who love art and
social critique, and reject the passive crowd.
Right now, I’m developing new collections that integrate experimental
techniques, digital formats, and innovative materials. It’s a long, slow process,
but necessary.
At the same time, I’m working on public art, installations, and performance. My
dream? To fuse art and fashion into a single urban and collective act.
Something that happens on the street, in front of everyone, and leaves a mark.
4 – Can you tell us more about your company? How many of you are there,
who are the key figures (besides yourself), where are you based and where
are the T-shirts produced?
VM-SHIRT is small but very dynamic. I’ve always handled everything directly:
design, graphics, suppliers, production, marketing, web design, sales,
influencer campaigns… and more.
As founder, creative director, and illustrator, I’ve led the brand since day one,
but VM’s strength also lies in collective work and a shared artistic vision.
Recently, I’ve been building a more structured network: partnerships with
agencies in Portugal, the Netherlands, and Italy; a team for web, logistics, and
supplier relations. Together we ensure quality and consistency.
I’m constantly looking for reliable suppliers to deliver a high-quality product
with a good balance between price and service. It’s a long and sometimes
exhausting process.The T-shirt market is saturated — that’s why content and vision matter more
than just “merchandise.”
I work with a fluid network of collaborators — independent artisans who jump
into projects as needed. We’re not an office — we’re more of a creative lab.
VM is my life. Every project is born from artistic urgency and developed with
care.
We’re based in Brussels, but with a global outlook. Major production has been
in Germany, in limited runs, with meticulous attention to materials and detail.
We work with certified cotton and suppliers committed to sustainability and
transparency.
Each collection is curated like an exhibit: concept, storytelling, palette —
everything follows an artistic vision through to the finished product.
5 – How is your distribution organized? I imagine e-commerce and social
commerce play a big role?
After the early prints in Shanghai and the excitement from friends, family, and
an expanding public, I began experimenting with online platforms like Shopify,
Printful, and especially Teespring (now Spring), which was a key part of my e-
commerce journey.
For years, it was my testing ground for prototypes now in circulation.
Last year, I finally launched my own webshop — now my main channel. I run it
myself with obsessive care for user experience and message consistency.
Every purchase is an act of trust. I don’t see buyers as mere customers — I
often send custom drawings to people who connect with the project. It’s my
way of reviving the human side of commerce, which has faded in the post-
pandemic world.
I’m also growing my social commerce with targeted campaigns, editorial
content, and creator collaborations.
But selling is not my main goal: it’s about building community, sparking
conversation, igniting thought.
Despite the digital focus, I want to expand physical distribution through
concept stores, galleries, and temporary spaces that share my vision.
This June, for example, I’ll be part of musical events in Portugal and urban
interviews in Amsterdam, thanks to a key collaborator, Cindy Koopmans.
In the past, I’ve sold through select boutiques, but I have strict criteria: the
space must be an extension of the project, not just a sales point.
It takes time, selection, and budget control.
I believe in hybrid, human and digital distribution — always consistent.
VM is not fast fashion and never will be: every piece has meaning and is part of
a larger story. Those who wear it become part of that story.
6 – Where do you see VM in five years?
My future plans? What’s cooking on VM’s table?
I have countless ideas — some already underway, others still in their early
stages — all driven by one vision: making VM-SHIRT a total experience, beyond
fashion.
I’m working on new collections combining illustration, storytelling, and tech,though daily responsibilities currently limit my artistic time. A solid structure is
needed for full growth.
Within two years, I foresee rapid brand expansion, and hope to find strong
partners — perhaps a major label ready to grow VM as a sister company.
If all goes well — in a sea of sharks and short-lived startups — in five years I see
VM-SHIRT as an extended community, with independent international branches
in the US and Asia.
My role? To create a vast archive of images — much larger than the current one
— while the fashion line launches new themes each season.
Meanwhile, I see myself around the world working on M€UROLAND: a large-
scale urban art project inspired by historical muralists, reinterpreted through a
conceptual, modern lens.
Each piece — spread over buildings, walls, rooftops — forms a fragmented
mosaic, visible only from a distance: maybe a hilltop, panoramic view, or drone
shot. From afar, M€URO appears like a Buddha — a shared message across the
city, turning urban space into a visual voice of peace, love, and understanding.
The goal is to take M€URO beyond commerce — into symbolic spaces like
cities, squares, and public grounds — to reach even those who’d never buy a
shirt.
For me, the power lies in the gesture, not the product.
I never want VM to become just a brand. I want it to remain a voice, a gesture, a
provocation.
Each T-shirt is a medium — a gateway to something bigger. A portable, living
artwork that continues to speak after the purchase.
VM will keep speaking, challenging, and — hopefully — making people smile.
M€UROLAND – Inspirations Behind My Urban Concept
- eL Seed – Perception (Cairo, Egypt)
The French-Tunisian artist created a mural spanning 50+ buildings in
“Garbage City.” Viewable only from Mount Muqattam, it forms a phrase
in Arabic calligraphy: “He who wants to see the sunlight clearly must
first wipe his eyes.”
2. Felice Varini – Trois Ellipses Ouvertes en Désordre (Hasselt,
Belgium)
The Swiss artist made an anamorphic piece across 99 buildings in the
old town. The forms align perfectly only from one precise viewpoint,
turning the city into an optical illusion.
3. JR – The Chronicles of San Francisco (USA)
French artist JR created a digital animated mural featuring over 1,200
city residents — photographed and interviewed — telling the city’s
story through its people.
4. Sister Corita Kent – Gas Tank Mural (Boston, USA)
The activist-artist painted a giant mural on a gas tank in Dorchester.
Viewable even from airplanes, its vivid colors and uplifting messages
transformed an industrial symbol into one of hope.
5. Pueblo Levee Mural Project (Colorado, USA)5.
The world’s longest mural (over 3 miles) on the Arkansas River levee,
started in the 1970s by students and artists — a monumental example
of participatory urban regeneration.
Let the city become a canvas! That was my goal when I first arrived in Brussels.
7 – Can you share an idea of your sell-in prices?
Prices vary depending on channel, collaboration, and volume. I never aim to
compete on price, but on perceived value.
VM-SHIRT has a mid-to-high positioning, with flexible, independent margins.
For concept stores or galleries, we discuss pricing based on context and
audience.
I’m always open to working with distributors on solutions that reflect VM-
SHIRT’s identity and values — never compromising on quality or experience.
I’d also like to develop a “limited edition” line or premium collaborations, while
keeping an accessible base range. Raising prices may reinforce the “wearable
art” perception, but we must avoid becoming distant or exclusive.
For now, I prefer to test select premium items and monitor the audience’s
response.
All VM-SHIRT designs are registered under Vincenzo Mennillo for copyright
protection.
